Franconia Ridge Loop
The Franconia Ridge Loop
– including Falling Waters Trail, Franconia
Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path,
“Shining Rock”, Little Haystack Mountain, Mount
Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire:
 Hiking
in early September in New Hampshire will always
be my favorite. Not only is it a perfect
temperature at the trailhead, but its not even
cold at the summit. In fact, the weather in
September regulates the hike so well that I
always feel comfortable with the increasing
chill of mountain climbing. As I get hotter and
sweatier, the mountain gets cooler, and then, on
the decent, I’m cooling off and the air
temperature is warming back up. What could be
better?
Well obviously, hiking is always better when you
pick a really awesome trail. With perfect, long
views, and gorgeous, ever-changing scenery. And
a lot of excitement. And an all-American sprit.
When I woke up, rolling out of my cramped
3-person tent in Franconia Notch’s campground on
the morning of September 13, 2008 I had no idea
what was to be made of my day. A group of five
of us had camped here the previous night, hoping
to get an early start on a hike along Franconia
Notch’s Ridge Trail. Traversing most of the
Franconia Mountain Ridge, the trail is
intermediate to advanced and the most popular
loop is 8.9 miles. The plan for today is to exit
the campground and cross under the highway,
using the interesting underpass-tunnel, and
commence at the Falling Waters Trailhead. Next
we were to make the climb to little Haystack
Mountain, switching to the Franconia Ridge Trail
and Cross Mount Lincoln, stopping for lunch with
a the rest of our group who would be hiking the
lop in the opposite direction. Finally, we would
cross Mount Lafayette and descend using the
Greenleaf Trail, with a quick stop at Greenleaf
AMC hut and continue down using the Old Bridle
Path. With temperatures already in the high
sixties by ten am, we were off to the tunnel and
first trailhead.
The Falling Waters Trail might be my favorite in
the Franconia Notch Area. It follows the rocky,
rushing Dry Brook upstream to meet the Franconia
Notch Trail. Most of the hike consists of us
cooling off in the constantly criss-crossing
trail through the brook. At many crossings there
are no bridges and slipping can be a concern for
less experienced hikers. Today, though, I see
many dogs and a few adolescent children, meaning
the trail is not impassable. Dry Brook features
impressive waterfalls and luscious forest/water
ecosystems for hikers to enjoy.
After about an hour of moderately quick hiking
we’ve found ourselves among woodlands and
switchbacks. The joy of the Franconia Ridge Loop
Trail lies in its diverse landscapes and trail
types. I am beginning to notice that there is
definitely something here for everyone, but
there are also challenges for every type of
hiker. Along this portion of the trail we pass
some burly guys with huge aluminum poles
sticking out of their packs. Out of curiosity, I
stop and ask what the poles are for and one of
the men explains how every year, on the Saturday
following September 11th,
his group places an American flag at the summit
of each New Hampshire Four-Thousand Footer. This
loop contains three such peaks and the entire
ridge boats six 4,000 Footers, second only to
the New Hampshire Presidential Ridge. Myself and
fellow hikers are surprised and excited by this
apparent tradition and are eager to summit the
Ridge and see flags for ourselves.
On the way up to the Franconia Ridge Trail that
traverses most of the above tree line portions
of the loop, we decide to take a small detour to
what is known as “Shining Rock”, a huge slab of
exposed mountain with a constant, thin sheet of
water moving over it. In the sunlight the water
shimmers off the face of the mountain, thus
earning this trail attraction its name. It’s a
detour off the trail of about a mile total, out
and back and is worth the extra and mostly flat
walk. We stop momentarily on a mid-rock sort of
walkway to look up to the peaks we will shortly
be summiting and down to the other side of the
valley from which we ascended. Turning back
toward the main trail, we make for the summit of
Little Haystack and the Franconia Ridge.
The first summit is Little Haystack Mountain,
followed by a rocky trail that leads to Mount
Lincoln, where the five of us in my group have
arranged to meet another small group travelling
the opposite way on the Franconia Ridge Loop.
They have climbed up to the ridge using the Old
Bridle Path and Greenleaf Trail, the trails we
will be following on the descent. We only have
to wait a few minutes for the group as Mount
Lincoln is a great meeting place for groups
crossing paths in this way. When the group
arrives they explain that it appears the Old
Bridle Path and Greenleaf Trail is a longer, but
less steep climb whereas the Falling Waters
Trail is shorter and much steeper. The two
groups share lunch for an hour atop Mount
Lincoln and enjoy the perfect weather. I only
need to slip into a three-quarter sleeve polypro
top over my shorts and short-sleeved hiking
shirt, as the weather is so warm. We’re
pleasantly cooled and rested, but not too hot or
cold. Recently erected American flags flutter
atop each peak to our right and left. My lunch
is satisfying and my pack is lighter. Perfect.
After an hour the groups part ways, everyone
offering advice regarding the trail he or she
had just hiked. Hiking still on the relatively
flat Ridge Trail we come to and cross Mount
Lafayette. We have been enjoying the views from
the summit this far, but as we enter a new trail
landscape of boulders and views stretching all
the way down the mountain and into the valley
that contains Lonesome Lake, I’m struck with the
beauty of the area. I have only brought one
Nalgene bottle on this hike and now that its
empty I’m wishing I brought an extra. In
retrospect, its always a good idea to have more
water and I was foolish to have only brought one
bottle on a warm day.
Acting as my saving grace, the Greenleaf AMC Hut
is situated on the Greenleaf Trail on which we
are now using to hike through the boulders. Like
the AMC Hut at Lonesome Lake, Greenleaf is
beautiful as well as well-staffed with friendly
people. It features flush toilets, beds to rent
for the night, and a pleasant place to take a
break with fresh water and cooking facilities.
It is now around two in the afternoon and we
take a fifteen minute break before continuing on
down the trail to meet the Old Bridle Path. The
views on the descent are breathtaking and last
forever. We encounter a multitude of great
lookout spots and the Greenleaf Trail gives way
to the Old Bridle Path, a winding, forested
trail that gradually slopes back down to our
campsite.
Arriving back at our site and car around three
or three-thirty, we wait another twenty minutes
for the rest of our tired group before we can
head out. Down the road is the beautiful Echo
Lake, directly below what used to be New
Hampshire’s “Old Man of the Mountain” and I’m
thinking about a swim in its pristine waters.
Franconia Ridge Loop Trail Map
Date of Report: June 16, 2009
by
Jillian Jason, Staff Writer
Franconia Ridge Loop Trails are located in
Franconia Notch NH.
Franconia NH Weather
Other Hiking Trails in NH
|
View Live NH Webcam
Enter The NH Hiking Forum!
Reports about NH hiking trail: Franconia
Ridge Trail and Franconia Ridge Loop in
Franconia Notch in Franconia New
Hampshire
|
